Tucson Weekend

This past weekend my sister invited me back down to Tucson.  When I and my family used to live in San Manuel and Tucson we would host these international kids called "Up With People".  Well...they were back in town with a concert at Mountain View High School where my sister's kids attend. These 86 kids are between the ages of 18 and 25 and full of energy.  It was great and Patti and I knew their theme song and sang right along with them from the balcony!

This was the cover of the program.

The next morning was the Stake meeting.  Apostle D. Todd Christofferson and 70 Elder Patrick Hearon spoke. This was not their Stake Conference.  The Elders had a meeting on Saturday with all 13 Stake Presidents and Pres. Monson asked them to stay over and attend a sunday meeting before flying home...they picked Patti's stake.  It was wonderful. Elder Christofferson ended the meeting 20 min. early because he wanted to shake the hands of all the children and youth (no adults) in attendance.  It was amazing ...tears ran down parent's cheeks as they watched their kids shake the hand of an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It was a great teaching moment...right out of the scriptures!

L-R: Elder Patrick Kearon, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Pres. Todd Polley (Stake Pres.)

Traveling Home through Southern Utah

Curtis' great great grandparents came from Sweden on the island of Gotland. They settled Scipio, UT.  As we were raising our kids and we would drive up through Scipio we would always talk about the family history. We would have the kids pick up their feet in the car as we drove through Scipio...because it was hallowed ground to the Nielsons.  So Curtis and I stopped once again on our drive back home.  We walked the cemetery where so many of his relatives are buried.

Entrance to the Scipio Cemetery.

This is the old homestead. Getting quit dilapidated, but has a lot of stories to tell!

This was an Uncle Ernie's house...still standing...still has people living in it!

We decided to drive from Scipio over to Richfield and down. This is coming up to Big Rock Candy Mountain.  We had to stop and buy some of that "rock candy" so we could take it home to our grandkids! Especially to our "new rock collector" kids in the family!!!

This is beautiful Kanab sandstone. It was sitting next to the LDS church on main street there in Kanab.

Hunter Curtis Haines has arrived!

Well we have been waiting and waiting for this little guy! He arrived on Aug 20, 2010. Nick and Serina are naming him Hunter Curtis Haines. (Guess who after?.... Grandpa!)

Brigham City, Utah

After the anniversary celebration event with all the family - Melvin, Gloria, Curtis and I decided to go and see where the new Brigham City Temple is going to be.  When we got there we found a chain link fence all the way around the 1 city block. To make it worse, it ad green stuff in the fence so you could not see into the building area.  So we looped the block and stopped where the gates were and looked through the hinge! All we saw was lots of construction trailers and dirt! The location is going to be directly west of the Brigham City Tabernacle.  We drove over to the Tabernacle and saw they were having tours. When we went inside the tour guide told us they put the temple fencing up immediately after the ground breaking ceremony.  Then big truck started hauling load after load of dirt. There will be a parking garage for the temple under neath it all, then they will build the temple on top!

Brigham City Tabneracle - Melvin & Curtis standing out front

Looking from the Brigham City Tabernacle west to the construction                 

 site of the Brigham City Temple. You can see all the construction  

equipment and trailers.

Inside the Tabernacle - looking from the front towards the back.
It is built as a miniature of the Salt Lake Tabernacle.

This is the inside of the Tabernacle looking from the benches upward at the podium and choir seating.  Was very beautiful woodwork design! We had fun walking through it all.

This is Lorenzo Snow's (5th President & Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).  One of our last trips to Salt Lake - Melvin, Curtis and I found all the graves of the past Prophets in the SLC cemetery. This one obviously wasn't there.  We only have one left we haven't been to...Pres. Ezra Taft Benson - who is buried in Idaho.

60th Wedding Celebration

We had a quick trip to Utah for Curtis' parents', Melvin & Gloria Nielson, 60th Wedding Anniversary. It was a very enjoyable trip up through Jacob Lake, Kanab - for a stroll down main street to read all the Kanab Hollywood signs, over Bear Canyon and up past sacred Scipio! on to Kaysville, Utah.  Time really went fast ... no we were not speeding!

The dinner was held at Maddux restaurant near Brigham City, UT.  We had a great dinner, then wonderful program. Scott and MaryAnn did a rendition of "Ahh, I remember it well" song from Gigi.  Scott showed slides of Melvin and Gloria through dating, raising a family, etc. but would tell the story wrong. MaryAnn would correct it. Totally hilarious...you had to be there! It is great having someone in the family with Wit!

This is Melvin and Gloria's family - before all the weddings.

L-R:  Curtis, Tracy (kneeling), Kim, Melvin, Scot (on floor), Gloria, Kevin, and Julie

This is the article that ran in the Ogden Standard newspaper on Sunday morning following the party. We found out about the article from people at church!  So I had to go find a copy.

 Here is what their cake looked like. They even cut it and fed each other like on their wedding day.

It truly was a fabulous day for us all.  In church the next morning their Bishop recognized them and told all the youth and young marrieds "You should look to this couple's example of what a good marriage is like."